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I got to come down her throat the night before, but I needed to rub one out in the shower before I could come out and have coffee with Shale and Barry.
“So what time are we going to work?” Barry asked, rubbing his hands together.
“In twenty,” Shale said, looking anxious.
“So you better pack an activity kit because I don’t want to hear you bitching twenty minutes in,” I said, getting a snort out of Shale.
“Already ahead of you!” Barry said. Either the comment went over his head, or he didn’t take it as a jab. He went across the apartment, grabbing the backpack that was an exact fucking replica of mine, and bringing it over. “I have my laptop, myheadphones, a book of word finds, a coloring book with markers, and two graphic novels.”
The smile tugging at Shale’s lips said she thought Barry was being cute.
I didn’t see it but I was happy just seeing shit through her eyes. Which, admittedly, were a lot less jaded.
“What’s in your bag?”
“My laptop,” I said. “I have work,” I added.
“Is anyone else coming?” Shale asked, fingers tapping on her mug.
“Yeah, I got a few of the bikers coming. And Jackson.”
“Jackson?” Shale asked.
“A cousin, but not by blood. My old man’s best friend’s son.”
“Oh, okay. Great. It’ll be a full house. You know, by Deja Brew standards.”
“Hey, you never know. You might get that group of horny old ladies again,” I said, getting a laugh out of Shale. “Don’t get your hopes up, Barry,” I teased.
“Be nice, boys,” Shale said, rolling her eyes at us. “I’m going to go get dressed, then we can head out,” she said, then moved off to do so.
In her absence, Barry looked over at me. Then, with a voice that was a lot more serious than I was used to hearing it, he asked, “Is she really in some sort of danger?”
“Yes. Why else would she be here?”
“Because she’s your girl.”
“She’s not my girl,” I insisted, but found I didn’t exactly like saying that.
“She is. You just don’t know it yet. But what kind of trouble could a barista be in?”
“The kind that could get her killed,” I told him, watching his brows shoot up.
“Oh.”
“Yeah. So, no fucking around today.”
“Got it, Boss,” he said. Then he actually fucking saluted me.
Shale emerged a few minutes later in a pair of painted-on jeans and a simple white long-sleeve tee with Deja Brew’s logo on it.
“Okay. I think I’m as ready as I can ever be for this,” she said as she grabbed her waist-length black puffer jacket, and put it on.
I grabbed my backpack and passed Shale her bag. We stood at the door waiting for Barry to slip on gloves, a scarf, a hat, and, finally, his jacket, before joining us.
Shale was anxious as we pulled up right outside the back door, parking in such a way that we could make a quick escape out of it and into the vehicle without someone being able to shoot or grab us.
I checked my phone as it buzzed.
